A TRIBUTE

This is a tribute to a 68 year old man whom I admire.Here it goes....................



"Rajesh, ball pass karo" was Sachin's call."Ya , ya ...take it"..I said. "Yea yea"...We all shouted and enjoyed after scoring a goal."Cut..Cut",said the director.Wondering what..?I am with Sachin Tendulkar for an Ad video.When the shot was ok,Sachin was leaving.A huge crowd gathered and everyone were shoutin "Sachin autograph please....Sachin...Sachin...".Among these I heard a strange voice yelling "Eh..Rajesh..Rajesh". I just rubbed my eyes,saw a familiar face..Oh God..Its my mom.Its 4.30 in the morning and she is waking me up and the ad video was a dream..".......What a nice dream!!!!!...Why did u wake me up?...was such a nice dream!!!.." I asked her in disgust.She shot back saying "Today is April 5th...Forgot?".I dont know from where I got all the energy and enthusiasm, I immediately got up.This was a day for which I ve been longing for 2 months.I got up and did the morning routine.I had my cup of coffee, the aroma really refreshed me.I took my cycle and pedalled my way to a nearby school where I ve studied for 6 years.It was great to be back there. I saw my friends leaving their vehciles and proceeding to a class.I followed them.On the way I saw a 68 year old man, so formally dressed standing outside the block and welcoming all the students.I wished him"Good Morning Sir".Jus a shake of the head was his reply.I entered the class and was to happy to see my friend Ashwin sitting in the front bench,So I went there and sat next to him and I never changed that place for that full year.That place become as close as Ashwin was to me.

That gentleman entered and requested one of the girls to start the proceedings with a prayer.After the prayer, a strange voice caught my attention and made me turn away from Ashwin with whom I was chatting (as usual)."I am N.Sundaresan......Reader in Physics....so you may be knowing, anyway let me give you a formal introduction......................",he started.This was the beginning of his tuition classes, I cherish those moments even today.Such a pleasing experience it was for me to attend his classes.For a person like me who considers sleeping as the mother of all activities, this gentleman really made me get up at 4.30 with no hesitation. ( but I must confess that I ve slept in his classes,this was only on those very few days when I missed my morning coffee).The thing which really brought about this change was his entertaining and brilliant way of teaching.I was a person who considered Physics as my biggest enemy in class XI because I was a victim of some horrible classes in School and this man brought about a drastic change in my attitude in just a week and made physics my biggest friend.The anecdotes which he used to give during the class really made me relate physics to the daily happenings around me.At one point,I started repenting as to why I missed these classes in class XI.

Let me now tell about his classes.If Mr.Sundaresan enters Jawahar Vidyalaya,then you can tell without any doubt that it is 5.15.So punctual he was and he expected the same from us which made some students a little uncomfortable.I ve always been punctual and was unfortunate to arrive 5 minutes late just one day and he did nt excuse me as usual,I was standing in the last row the full class.Then after the class I went and asked a sorry and requested him to mark my attendance.He replied"Naan eppadi Rajesh ku attendance podaama viduven,Athellaam pottuduven.(How will I forget to mark attendance for Rajesh?) and ended it with his characteristic smile.Thank You Sir,I replied in a humble manner and left.There has not been a single issue which he had not talked about.He is a strong critic of Karunanidhi,objected Sonia contesting the elections as she was not of Indian origin.Just like how I admire him,he says he really admires Rajdeep Sardesai and says he is forced to watch his shows.He calls Jayalalitha a brave woman and comments that Rajnikanth is an eccentric fellow.Though I oppose some of his views,I admire his style of speaking.I had told this in the feedback letter that I ve never heard such style of speaking. ( A style as different as Rajnikanth).The words he uses very often are "So that way.....".I dont know whether he s doing with or without his knowledge. ie he always ends his sentences with the word"right" which sounds very strange but nice.

There is one thing which makes me feel a little sad,he said that I did nt live up to his expectations in the marks I scored.I could manage only 89% in physics in the XII public exams but he said "So.......Rajesh...... I expected a 94 from you but sad that you could nt." but anyway he has appreciated my way of presenting the answers and says he likes my handwriting too .He has told this both to me and my parents.I felt very happy to hear this ( Atleast something I can be proud of ).

Overall,it has been a marvellous experience for me to attend his classes.I salute you Sir and promise to lead my life in the manner you had expected of me.

I feel elated to have penned down my views on Mr.Sundaresan who has really impressed me and whom I admire and respect a lot.

Feedbacks,comments and suggestions are always welcome.

Chennai CBSE Students- What makes them Very Special?

This is a question to which I ve been thinking about for the last three years ever since I got my admission into PSBB, one of the best CBSE schools in this "Singara" Chennai. I ve been keeping a close watch on the results of the class 12 CBSE exams like you for the last three years and what really surprises me is the amazing performance of the Madras students.They have been topping every time in the pass percentage column.What makes them so special?

The number of students in Madras (I'll use Madras because I love this name and I m wondering how the State Government could change this beautiful name to a sick one - Chennai!!) taking up the CBSE exams in class XII are actually small compared to other places.This can be one of the statements which can attribute to their consistent success.The hunger for success here is actually high as they are competing with a large number of their friends studying in schools affiliated to the State Government. where scoring marks is actually pretty easy as compared to the former..Engineering and Medicine are the only two streams in the minds of most of the students (this very much includes me).The professional exams being conducted in Tamil Nadu (which no one knows whether it ll be conducted or not till the very last moment after crossing all the hurdles possible) is based on the State Board syllabus wherein the manner in which the students are tested is different from what the CBSE students are exposed to.The key factor which separates the two groups is their performance in TNPCEE.

Engineering/Medical college is always there on the students' minds and therefore, in order to perform well in the TNPCEE,the CBSE students try their level best to finish off their school portions as soon as possible .The pressure to perform well and the expectations are always very high in Madras. Sorry for not taking into account the Commerce group students in the above sections.Their number is very small and have not much of an effect. Their performance too is good but are not much there in the scheme of things.

Credit should be given to the students for handling the pressure in a beautiful way.One of the keys to their success are the tuition classes in my opinion. My experience actually speaks here.We have great fun at school and enjoy to the maximum extent possible and then when we go through the text books before exams.....all looks greek & latin..This was the case in class XI. This bad phase was not much to be seen when we started attending tuition classes in XII. So the tuition teachers played a significant role (though not a major one).The contribution of the school teachers in our success I feel is meagre which I believe many will agree with me.When compared to other metros,the distractions are little less in my opinion and the desire to succeed is also high on the minds of the students.

Overall Chennai ( atleast now I should use) students are having a blast everytime the results are announced and I hope this trend continues in the coming years.I m really proud to be part of this.

Note: Not everything mentioned above relates to me as you may think I was also a CBSE student.I ve written this article based on my observations. 

Comments,Suggestions and feedback are always welcome.

Ganguly-The Man of The Masses

Let my first article concern a topic in which I am very familiar and can explain my ideas in a fair manner.I am not a great fan of Ganguly but I admire his early days as a batsman and his wonderful captaincy where one could see fire in him.He silenced his critics.He was the only captain who took on the Great Steve Waugh and brought about a new aggression in the Indian cricket team.I believe this genius deserves a better send off equal to Steve Waugh.The reason for this is my article.

Saurav Ganguly-Prince of Calcutta

This is an exciting topic to discuss.Let me tell about the Emergence,the Rise and the Fall of Ganguly if you are not aware of it.

1992-Was a part of the 16 member squad in the Indian team which embarked on a tour Down Under after some awesome performances for Bengal in the Ranji matches.Bad mouthed the team management for being made to sit in the reserves and being asked to carry drinks to the players(Thinkin that he was the Prince of Calcutta) throughout the tour.

He did nt get into the team though his performance in the Ranji nmatches though his performances were the best in India due to too much politics.

1996-After a dissapointing World Cup,India toured England which can be called as a tour where two new stars were born-Rahul Dravid and Saurav Ganguly.Ganguly and Dravid made it to the team in the 2nd test after losing the first test.Ganguly started his International career with a bang-A fitting reply to his critics.Started with a century on debut and thrashed away the English bowlers with.Dravid made a solid 95.Sourav looked very confident in that innings against the likes of Rose,Lewis etc..His boundaries on the cover area were a treat to watch

From here on,started a new chapter in Ganguly's cricketing career where he was welcomed by the Indian audience and was at one stage almost equal to Sachin in terms of popularity.He opened the batting in ODI s with Sachin.His performances were stunning and was called as "The God on the Off-Side" by his fellow mate Rahul Dravid.His average was always 44+.This goes to show his consistency.He was a good bowler too and picked up two 5 wicket hauls.His test performance too was not at all bad.He even now averages 43+ in tests.

1998-Shared the record with Sachin for the highest opening partnership against Sri Lanka and scored a wonderful match winning knock of 124 at Dhaka against Arch-Rivals Pakistan.His timing was simply brilliant.His elegance was there,perfect.The way he used to smash those mighty sixers made me wonder if there could be any other player on Earth who could hit a six better than him.He makes his sixers look so easy.

1999-Scored 183 which is supposed to be Ganguly's best knock so far in ODIs.He hit 7 sixers in that innings in which one broke a camera on the top floor of the Pavilion stand and one was hit outside the ground and the ball was never seen again.These innings paved him way to become the vice captain of the team deputing Sachin Tendulkar.Since Sachin's essay as a Captain was not as impressive as his batting,he voluntarily resigned the job in 2000.

2000-Took over one of India's prestigious post as the Captain of the Indian Cricket team after Sachin Tendulkar resigned.The team was in shatters after the match fixing scandal and credit should be given to Dada for bringing up the team.He has the distinction of being the only Indian Team Captain who called up the entire team to come to the dias and collect the cup.That was the Sahara Cup at Toronto which was his maiden tournament as Captain.From then on,there was no looking back for this man.He brought up young guns like Yuvraj and Kaif into the side.

2001-This can be called as one of the golden years in his life.He took on the Aussies even before they could arrive here.He made fitting replies to Steve Waugh's comments on the pitches in Indian grounds.Though the hosts lost the first test at Mumbai after a dismal performance.The rest is history. Harbhajan,Sachin,Laxman and Dravid came to his rescue but his control on the field was amazing.The way he encouraged Bhajji was great which made him even take a hat-trick.His fiels placements were amazing.The attacking mindset of Ganguly really helped Bhajji and he looked so confident.

2002-Who can forget this year???.......Natwest triumph at The Mecca of Cricket..This chap showed his body to the whole world(Freddie style)...But credit to be given to him on the battin part surprisingly for the start he gave to the side..smashin the bowlers all around the park.The way he hugged Kaif later (I dont think he would have even hugged his wife in that manner) showed his true character,like how happy and involved he was.That one aspect I ve never seen in any Captain in World Cricket

2003-After 20 years, an aggressive captain made the Indian team reach the finals of a WC.This is none other than our DADA..His shrewd captaincy was the main factor in their morale-boosting performances after a disappointin start in the WC.It was correct on his part to voice the team's opinion through Sachin after huge violence set the scene in many of the cricketer's houses after a disgusting performance against Australia in the league match.His brave decision to play Bhajji instead of Jumbo was to be appreciated but I see no justification in his act but though accept that it was a tough choice to make.

2004-After the WC,the Indians were on a high and set out on the tour to Pakistan.The convincing victories in both the test series and ODI s made Ganguly even bigger among the masses.The way he commanded respect from his team mates was simply amazing.The 2004 tou Down Under showcased how great and confident he was while taking on the Aussies.The Indians before leaving the Chennai Airport were the underdogs but things changed once they arrived in Australia.Started off with a draw in the first test at Brisbane,thanks to the overcast conditions and frequent rain.But Ganguly led from the front and exuded confidence in the team with a brilliant 144*.He gave a fitting farewell to Waugh by preventing him from leaving his cricketing career with a series victory.The series was levelled 1-1.

From now on,started the dark phase,the entry of Creg Chappell..It was Ganguly who insisted on Chappell takin up the job and wanted to work with him but Chappell had other plans.But Ganguly's horrible batting form was a main factor to his exclusion.His decision to discuss that issue in the press conference was very bad and that too after scoring a century seemed he like he wanted to justify his captaincy with a century against the minnows.This was not at all expected of him.I think now he must be regretting for what he has done.But still I believe Dada should have been given some more chances considering his stature in the Indian team.People like Kiran More, I think has no right to talk so ill of Ganguly.

So on the whole,I believe he should have been given a better farewell and not be treated in such a shabby manner.One of the main aspects which I really admire in him is the fact that he always defends his decisions and his players and always sounds confident in the post-match presentation ceremonies and press conferences and always defends his players when they are going through a bad phase.His words are so powerful and sends out clear messages to the opponent's camp.

You can clearly see the three stages-Emergence,Rise and Fall of Dada in the 3 pictures above.. Ganguly-The Captain stands tall and higher than the other two.

Comments,suggestions and feedback are always welcome

Cheers

Rajesh.S